This invention relates to terminal applicators of the type which are used in conjunction with a bench press for crimping terminals in strip form onto wires. The term "terminal applicator" is commonly used to identify a device having a ram therein, crimping die and anvil means, and a strip feed for feeding terminal strip to the anvil. Terminal applicators are designed to be removably mounted in a standard bench press and a wide variety of applicator types are available for crimping the many types of terminal strip which are used. The use of terminal applicators obviates the requirement that specialized tooling for a particular terminal be mounted directly on the bench press.
Most of the terminal applicators known to the art are intended for crimping terminals of the type having open-U crimp ferrules onto wires. An open-U crimp ferrule has a crimp portion which is U-shaped in cross section and during crimping the end of the wire is simply positioned between the sidewalls of the U, usually by downward movement of the wire, and the U-shaped portion is crimped onto the wire. Closed barrel terminals, on the other hand, have closed cylindrical crimp portions and the wire must be carefully threaded into the barrel prior to crimping.
The instant invention is particularly directed to the achievement of an applicator which is intended to be used with a semi-automatic machine of the general type disclosed in Application Ser. No. 723,697 in which a wire is positioned by wire handling equipment at a predetermined location on the machine with relation to the press ram. Obviously, the use of a semi-automatic machine of the type disclosed in Application Ser. No. 723,697 requires precise location of the end of the wire and it also requires that the wire be positioned in the closed barrel terminal by the wire handling mechanisms of the machine.
In accordance with the practice of the instant invention, the applicator has a crimping anvil which is normally in a retracted position with relation to the crimping site (the location in the applicator at which the crimping operation takes place). Terminals in strip form are fed to the anvil while it is in its retracted position and the leading terminal is severed from the strip. Thereafter, the leading terminal is clamped to the anvil and the anvil is moved to the crimping site so that a wire which has previously been located at the crimping site of the lead making machine will be located in the closed barrel of the terminal. The terminal is then crimped onto the wire by the crimping dies.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved terminal applicator. A further object is to provide a terminal applicator which is particularly intended for use with semi-automatic or automatic lead making machines. A further object is to provide an applicator which can be used to crimp closed barrel terminals onto wires in a semi-automatic or fully automatic lead making machine.